Price of HVX...

[th3digitalmind]

I am ready to buy an HVX-200 but the prices are all over the place...

I want to buy from BHPhotovideo, however just the camera with no package stuff costs 5,200$ but other places sell it as low as $3,200....

how can there be a 2000$ price difference between places?

[tmnt]

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=70059

I got my hvx from specialized communications, they were a pleasure to deal with.

[Spec-Comm]

I am ready to buy an HVX-200 but the prices are all over the place...

I want to buy from BHPhotovideo, however just the camera with no package stuff costs 5,200$ but other places sell it as low as $3,200....

how can there be a 2000$ price difference between places?

Hello Digital Mind,

It will really help you out if you read this:

http://www.spec-comm.com/hvx200faq.php

Stay away from any company that sells for lower than $5299. They could be, and most likely are gray market.

We have the cameras in stock ready to ship first thing Monday.

Click HERE to order. (http://www.spec-comm.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=81&zenid=17a73362c6aced93935a58d8e85db762)

Best regards,

Andrew Hoffman
Senior Operations Manager
Specialized Communications Corp.
20940 Twin Springs Dr.
Smithsburg, MD 21783-1510 USA
800-359-1858
301-790-0103
Fax: 301-790-0173
andrewh@spec-comm.com
www.spec-comm.com

Please visit our new online store at ( http://www.spec-comm.com/store ). New products being added daily!

[Ted Spencer]

Stay away from any company that sells for lower than $5299. They could be, and most likely are gray market.

Well, not to be too nitpicky, but B&H, a well known, reputable, authorized dealer, does offer the camera for $5199.95:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/381410-REG/Panasonic_AG_HVX200_AG_HVX200_3_CCD_HD_Format.html

And I imagine you'd probably match that price if someone pointed it out in a discussion of a deal, being straight shooters and all as you are.

Just Spec-ulating of course : )

[mcgeedigital]

Well, not to be too nitpicky, but B&H, a well known, reputable, authorized dealer, does offer the camera for $5199.95:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/381410-REG/Panasonic_AG_HVX200_AG_HVX200_3_CCD_HD_Format.html

And I imagine you'd probably match that price if someone pointed it out in a discussion of a deal, being straight shooters and all as you are.

Just Spec-ulating of course : )

And B&H HAS been known to sell gray market cameras as well.

[wgzn]

digitalmind, the ONLY thing you need to know is that any "dealer" selling a new hvx for less than + or - 4800 is most definitely greymarket or a scam. PERIOD.

[Ted Spencer]

And B&H HAS been known to sell gray market cameras as well.

Yes, about a year ago, there were a few cases of B&H selling, at substantially lower than their regular price, what turned out to be something other than US-spec HVX-200s. They were called out for it here on DVXuser, and Henry Posner, one of their executives, replied with their official explanation, which had to do with an error by of their suppliers. Here's the thread:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=71515&highlight=posner

Note that the thread ended with the following from the original poster:

"Since this original post B&H has solved all
problems & reimbursed all money owed to
me to my complete satisfaction.
DATE: October 22, 2006"

Note also that B&H was selling, at the same time, otherwise "regulation" HVXs for the normal, higher (but still quite competitive) price.

Even if only implicitly, to paint B&H with the same brush as the real "grey marketeers" (many, if not most of which, are outright scam artists) is misleading at best.

I shop there quite often (I live nearby) and in my experience it's always been an excellent store with good prices, very fair policies and excellent customer service.

The "Crooklyn" scammers a few miles to the east are another matter altogether...

[Spec-Comm]

Ted,

Don't get me wrong. B&H is a very reputable company. Many people say very nice things about them. What I meant about the $5299 price was that Panasonic has instructed all Authorized Dealers to advertise at a minimum of $5299 and if B&H hasn't conformed to that then that's between them and Panasonic. I think that Panasonic doing this though really helps those that are shopping for a camera to get a good idea right away if a dealer is legit or not.

Best regards,

Andrew Hoffman
Senior Operations Manager
Specialized Communications Corp.
20940 Twin Springs Dr.
Smithsburg, MD 21783-1510 USA
800-359-1858
301-790-0103
Fax: 301-790-0173
andrewh@spec-comm.com
www.spec-comm.com

Please visit our new online store at ( http://www.spec-comm.com/store ). New products being added daily!

[Spec-Comm]

Well, not to be too nitpicky, but B&H, a well known, reputable, authorized dealer, does offer the camera for $5199.95:

And I imagine you'd probably match that price if someone pointed it out in a discussion of a deal, being straight shooters and all as you are.

Just Spec-ulating of course : )

Ted,

You don't have to speculate. We are always striving to be fair. Give us a call and we'll see what we can do for you as far as matching goes.

Best regards,

Andrew Hoffman
Senior Operations Manager
Specialized Communications Corp.
20940 Twin Springs Dr.
Smithsburg, MD 21783-1510 USA
800-359-1858
301-790-0103
Fax: 301-790-0173
andrewh@spec-comm.com
www.spec-comm.com

Please visit our new online store at ( http://www.spec-comm.com/store ). New products being added daily!

[Ted Spencer]

Panasonic has instructed all Authorized Dealers to advertise at a minimum of $5299

Best regards,

Andrew Hoffman
Senior Operations Manager
Specialized Communications Corp.\

"Instructed" (as in mandatory) or "suggested" (as in optional)?

If the former, then it's interesting to know that in spite of B&H's highly reputable status, they've chosen to price the HVX in a way that is expressly disapproved by Panasonic. If the latter, then it would seem to be nothing out of the ordinary.

Not that any customers are complaining either way, of course : )

[Ted Spencer]

Ted,

You don't have to speculate. We are always striving to be fair. Give us a call and we'll see what we can do for you as far as matching goes.

Best regards,

Andrew Hoffman
Senior Operations Manager
Specialized Communications Corp.

I have no doubt whatsover about the integrity of your company. I regret that I've not yet had the pleasure of dealing with you thus far, and look forward to doing so in the future.

[Barry_Green]

Many manufacturers have a Minimum Advertised Price policy. I don't know if Panasonic has one or not, but for example Sony USA used to have a MAP of $4700 on the Z1U. No USA dealer was allowed to advertise it for less. Dealers are free to sell it for less if they want, but they couldn't advertise that price. That's why you'll occasionally see B&H do a promotion where they say "click add-to-cart for a lower price"; they can't advertise that price but they can sell it for that price, so adding it to the cart was a way to get around the MAP.

It sounds like Andrew's saying that Panasonic has instituted a MAP on the HVX. That'd be good news for weeding out who's an authorized dealer and who isn't; all you'd have to do is look at the advertised price and if it's less than $5299 you automatically know you're dealing with a gray marketer. But if that's true, it's unclear as to why B&H would have it still listed at $5199; either they didn't get the memo, or Panasonic didn't actually institute a full-fledged M.A.P. (i.e., it might be a "suggestion" but not an actual contractually-bound requirement?)

This is different from Canon, who apparently had an actual fixed-price policy on their XLH1 wherein no dealer was allowed to discount it by even a nickel; all sales *had* to be at full retail $8999.95. I don't know that that's even legal, but in the case of a MAP there's no requirement to sell at a fixed price, but there's a restriction on how low of an advertised price you can offer (hence the name, Minimum Advertised Price).

[JonathanLB]

If you bug Birns & Sawyer you can get it for $5,000 even. I got mine from B&H, my business partner got his from Birns & Sawyer, $5,000, I was there. We both have spent a lot of money with that company, however (XH-A1 purchase, mics, light kits, C-stands, etc.), so maybe we got a better deal than normal but I think you can bug them and get that price...

[Spec-Comm]

You're correct Barry. It is MAP pricing and Panasonic made it manditory. If you don't comply, you loose priviledges. I think that it's a great way to weed out the gray marketers. It's very clear now.

Andrew Hoffman

[Barry_Green]

Well, that's it then. We now know how to answer people: if someone sees an HVX *advertised* anywhere for less than $5299, it's automatically a gray-market product.

Dealers may choose to *sell* it less than $5299, but they cannot *advertise* it for less. So if you see it being advertised for less, it's not legit.

[Spec-Comm]

Our price is $5299, however, please don't get confused with our $5995 price. That one comes with a P2 card! It's a pretty good deal. We have had multiple people ask us to match the B&H deal that is the camera with two cards and if you purchase the $5995 package that we have plus an extra card, you already come in under B&H.

Best regards,

Andrew Hoffman

[Jason Ramsey]

Plus 2% off. It ends up being like 5,000 for the HVX and 875 for a 16 gig p2 card, if you buy from spec-comm and pay by certified check.

As far as I know, that's as cheap as you can get an HVX from any authorized dealers right now, and 875 for the p2 card, which is also a good deal.

I bought 13,000+ in gear from Spec-comm when I made my big equipment purchases about a year ago. Would not hesitate to do it again. Peace of mind... and, in this case, the lowest price too.

--

On another topic... if the MAP is required, then why is B&H advertising it for less? tsk, tsk....

Then, beyond that, if you are looking for a place that pretty regularly keeps a large stock of p2 cards, try videoscopeusa.com (best if you call. They are redoing their website right now... it's not very navigable.).


Take care,
Jason